It is not just in technological innovation and building modern economy that Indians have to learn, imbibe and get inspired from countries like South Korea, Taiwan and Japan. There is a more mundane aspect that we need to learn and emulate the Far Eastern countries – social responsibility and civic sense.

The March 14 performance by DJ and musician Martin Garrix at the DY Patil Stadium, Nerul, left a mound of waste that required NMMC to work through the night to clear the mess.

Plastic wrappers, food waste and other garbage were littered all along the roads around the venue. “About 4.5 tonnes of dry waste was collected from the stadium premises, accounting for waste littered as well as the waste disposed in the dustbins inside and outside the venue. Approximately 200 to 300 kg of wet waste was collected from dustbins within the stadium,” Mahendra Konde, NMMC PRO told Newsband.

The Martin Garrix Holi concert was attended by 45,000 fans. Martin Garrix is a Dutch DJ, music producer, and songwriter known for his contributions to electronic dance music. 

It is not the first time that the city and its residents have had to suffer due to the lack of civic sense. “Every time they have a concert, the roads around the stadium are littered with garbage and waste. True it is the responsibility of NMMC but what about our responsibility. Don’t we have any social commitments,” Nerul-resident Sarita Mukundan said.

“No one is against concerts. But when we complain of how the country is lagging behind, we should realise the country is the sum of its people,” Anita Patil, a city resident, said.

NMMC claims it had stationed solid waste management teams to deal with the garbage and waste that is often left behind by concert-goers. However, the corporation’s plans proved highly insufficient.

The civic corporation worked through the night to collect and clear the waste. “NMMC’s solid waste management department worked till dawn on March 15 to clear the mess and get the job done,” Dr Ajay Gadade, NMMC deputy commissioner, solid waste management department, said.

Several instances have been reported from countries like Japan, South Korea, etc. where citizens have taken the pains to avoid littering and clear waste after them. In December 2024, during the impeachment protests in Seoul, South Korean citizens showed immense civic sense by collecting the garbage accumulated after the demonstrations. The citizens won praise for their civic sense and social responsibility. Earlier in 2022, Japan fans won praise for cleaning up the stadium after the football match between Germany and Japan during the Qatar Olympics.